Montenegro: first pancake
It so happened that this was our first trip abroad and, as you understand, we, in principle, should have liked everything.
So, we flew to Tivat. As promised in the "Reminder to vacationers" we were met by the host - a representative of the company Prometeus Travel. Half an hour of the road and we are in Budva.
Budva is a small resort town, somewhat reminiscent of the Crimean Yalta, Alushta, Sudak: green, there are first, second and third lines ...But there are friendly natives, delicious food, clean streets and beaches, cool roads.
We were unlucky with the weather - only the first two days were warm / hot and sunny, then it started to rain and thunderstorms, so if field trips are not booked, then you can really sit this time in the room, because in Budva, unfortunately, there are not enough sights to make them enough for the entire period of rest. And there are a lot of excursions from Prometeus, there is something to choose both to taste and to afford - from 30 to 90 euros per person.
Speaking of prices.
To put it mildly, they unpleasantly surprised us - according to the stories of our neighbors in the villa, who were here two years ago, everything has risen in price by 2-3 times. For example, sunbeds and umbrellas on the beach cost from 2 euros (two sunbeds and an umbrella cost from 6 to 10 euros a day), drinking water 0.5 liters - from 40 eurocents in a supermarket to 0.80–1 euros on a street or beach; a piece of pizza - from 1.50 euros, a hamburger (very large and tasty) - from 2 euros, strawberries - 3 euros, cherries - 4 euros, peaches - 2.50, bananas (from 1 euro). Moreover, fruit prices in the supermarket jumped by 15% over the week.
Starting from this year, complex lunches have been added to the menu in local restaurants - from 3.5 euros, BUT without drinks. And since the local cuisine is salty, fatty and spicy, you will want to drink it anyway. And drinks in restaurants and bars in Budva cost from 0.60 euros for 200 ml, a liter mineral water "Prince Milos" (by the way, very tasty) costs from 3 euros, although in a supermarket it costs 1.20 euros. Salads - from 1.
5 euros, main dishes - from 4 euros (assorted grilled meat (300 g) costs from 10 euros).
I want to immediately recommend restaurants and a bakery where we especially liked: the Pod Lozom restaurant at the Loza hotel (Mainski put street, 17) and the Kuzina restaurant (crossroads of Ferona and Zrtava Fasizma streets) - Dinner for three cost us from 20 to 30 euros.
Also, be sure to check out the Good Food bakery at the very beginning of the Mainsky Way - you can have a wonderful breakfast there, tasting either a croissant or a piece of meat pie (cheese / apples / jam), washed down with local kefir, yogurt, juice or espresso, cappuccino, latte ...This for three will cost 4-6 euros.
A strange but interesting detail - we were mostly served by men of pre- or retirement age.
Most natives know or at least understand Russian. But as it turned out, Ukrainian is closer to them - the vocabulary of the languages is very similar.
They are different - small or large pebbles, with gentle (children's) or steep banks (you can immediately dive with a mask). The beaches are free (entrance), you pay for sunbeds and umbrellas. Also on the "paid" beach you can order food and drink and the boy will bring: a hamburger - 3 euros, beer 0.5 - 3 euros. They carry raspberries, blackberries, corn or donuts along the beach (all for 2 euros) and no fish and seafood (! ).
The sea is clean, very salty, but it was cool (about 18-20 degrees), but then (before thunderstorms) it warmed up to a comfortable 23 degrees. )
TRANSFER, ACCOMMODATION, LIFE
So, half an hour of travel on a comfortable bus, and we arrived at the street next to ours, where the hostess of the villa was waiting for us. Another 7 minutes down the sidewalks (avoiding cars parked on them) and we got to the villa - a four-story building with 8 rooms.
By the way, about cars. There are many, many of them in Budva.
Although the town is small, it’s just right to get on a bike or bike, but they drive cars there and park them literally everywhere, mostly on the sidewalks.
Crossing the street even at a pedestrian crossing, under the green light, you also need to look around and be on the alert - it seems that local drivers do not consider pedestrians to be traffic participants at all.
So, we are already at the villa. We paid for apartments in Villa Glomazic category A. Judging by the signs at the entrance to the villa, there were rooms in two price categories - 3* and 4*.
We were settled like in 4 * on the third floor - this is a two-room apartment with a shared bathroom, bedroom and living room-kitchen (studio, so to speak). Good repair, floor tiles, furniture, air conditioning, TV, washing machine, refrigerator. Our two balconies, respectively, went out into the yard (it was noisy in the evenings until late, aborigines can't speak quietly? ) and out the window of a nearby boarding house (hello everyone! ).
Moreover, the balconies of the opposite wing went directly to the construction of a four-story boarding house, where all seven days (without days off) from 8 to 18 hours work was carried out - the monolith was poured. I can imagine how comfortable it was for our neighbors.
Unfortunately, there is no reception there, and we found out where the owners live only a day later.
And now attention! Not once in 7 days we were not cleaned, only ONCE they took out the garbage and changed the towels, and then when we urgently asked. There were no such problems even in Crimea four years ago. The owners of the villa were probably no less surprised by our "impudence" and told us that they were not a hotel. Although the description of this hotel on the tour operator's websites indicated: daily cleaning, change of towels every other day, Internet and cable TV. As for the last two points - yes, it was.
I asked the representative of the host company Prometeus Travel to resolve the issue of everyday life, but he recommended that this be resolved independently with the owners of the villa.
I don’t know whose “provtykon” this is - the hosts or the host, but I think Prometheus urgently needs to clarify this situation, and we, the vacationers, should not believe 100% what is written on the websites of tour operators.
And then came the day of departure. In the "Memo ... " it was indicated that the eviction takes place before 12 o'clock. And they came to us with a convincing request to “get off” at 10.30. We were also lucky - they showed up to our neighbors at 9 o'clock and asked to leave at 10.00.
Therefore, it is not clear how Villa Glomazic (Cat. A) has three or four stars.
Of course, we expressed our “fee”, but since our suitcases were already packed, we vacated the room at 11.00, then once again walked around the city, dined on the path and at 14.00 went up the street to the departure collection point.
Came for 15 min.
earlier than the announced time and well, since the bus arrived literally in 5 minutes. On the way, the bus picked up tourists and at another point they almost lost one of them: at first, the Prometheus representative did not notice him on the lists of those leaving, so there were not enough seats, and we had to make room in the gallery, it’s good that there were children in the cabin.
We arrived in Tivat, unloaded, went to the airport. There is very little space for such a large number of arriving and departing ...
We packed our suitcase (7 euros), registered, went through passport control, and now we are at the border.
We went to the local Duty Free and went nuts ...In the duty-free shop, everything is 2-4 times more expensive. Since they are not allowed to cross the border with their own water, those departing, especially with children, have to buy 0.5 liters for 2 euros. This is so - by the way. These aspirants to Europe did not even think of putting a water cooler in the waiting room. Although the situation seems to be the same with us in Boryspil.
Montenegro is a very beautiful country: mountains, greenery, canyons, mountain rivers (were rafting with my son), temples and more. For 2-3 excursions, you can visit all its sights. And it’s better to rent a car (40-100 euros per day) and drive on your own - believe me, it will turn out cheaper than paying for a tour.
Although prices in Montenegro have jumped 2-3 times, but as my friend, who often visits the European Union, tells me, they are still lower than in Bulgaria, not to mention Greece, Crete, Spain, France, etc.
